Safety system and process for its operation

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a safety system for prevention of the escape of noxious media such as explosive gas mixtures and/or ignitable substances, a safety system having at least one interception element ( 10; 30 ) which at least partly encloses and seals off a potential escape point ( 12 ) for the respective medium, which is precipitated onto the interception element ( 10; 30 ) and once it has been collected may be removed from the interception element ( 10; 30 ). In this way both aggressive media and fuel-laden gases may be effectively controlled by safety engineering measures.

The invention relates to a safety system for prevention of escape of noxious media such as explosive gas mixtures and/or inflammable substances having at least one interception element which at least partly encloses and seals off a potential escape point of a particular medium, which is precipitated onto the interception element and collected in this interception element and may be removed from it.

The invention also relates to a process for operation of the respective safety system.

Interaction of structural components whose function it is in particular to conduct fluid constantly results in unintentional development of potential points of leakage of noxious media which escape from the fluid conduct system, often in the form of clouds of gases as aggressive media vapors (acids, lyes, toxic substances, etc.) and in that of explosive gaseous mixtures and/or easily ignitable substances and constitute a corresponding safety hazard for the surroundings, including the harmful effect on the environment. Problematical situations such as this arise in chemical processing technology in particular, in refining of fuel and its delivery by way of dispensers, in hydraulic systems, and especially in operation of diesel engines and other internal combustion engines.

The safety system and process for its operation claimed for the invention proceeds on the basis of the problem as thus formulated. It is proposed as claimed in the invention that hot, gaseous, noxious media that possibly unintentionally escape from a potential escape point undergo condensation at an interception element and the condensate may then be reliably and removed with precision from the interception element without the possibility of the escaping medium in question coming in contact with the environment. Consequently, not only may aggressive media such as gasiform acids, lyes, or poisons be intercepted and controlled but so also may fuel-laden gases such as hot, fuel-saturated air, without their potentially coming into contact with other hot structural elements such as engine or exhaust gas components (turbochargers), something which could set off a fire or even an explosion in a vehicle such as a passenger car, truck, or bus, and even aboard ships.

The person skilled in the art of such safety engineering is surprised to learn that it is possible, by providing a condensate intercepting element in the vicinity of a danger point, to trap and remove noxious media with precision by condensation without the need for significant equipment engineering safety design effort. The solution claimed for the invention is cost-effective and ensures ease of access to potential areas of leakage and so permits additional cost reduction.

In one especially preferred embodiment of the safety system provision is made such that a protective element which interrupts the direct path of impact of the medium between the escape point and one interception element is present as spray protection between one interception element and the escape point as additional interception element. If the medium with damaging potential escapes from a leakage or escape point it may do so initially in the form of a fluid under high pressure and at a high temperature so that it would be difficult to control such a stream, even one in the form of an individual or spray component, by means of the interception element of the safety system described in the foregoing. In order to cope with such extreme cases as well, the protective element forms an obstacle to the fluid components of the medium as additional interception element, by preference one configured as a temperature-stable protective cap, so that these components are retained and only the gas components and gas mixtures of the leakage flow indicated come into contact with the one interception element and a condensate is formed. A redundant safety structure in the form of a multishell system is formed in this manner.

The safety system claimed for the invention as specified for the configuration of characteristics in claim 10 has proved to be well suited in particular for an operating process in which pollutants present in an exhaust gas system, ones such as soot particles resulting from diesel fuel combustion, are postcombusted by means of fuel injection; hot fuel-saturated air escaping from an escape point of the exhaust gas system which is unintentionally present being precipitated onto the interception element of the safety system and being removed from this interception element as condensate. Consequently, by applying the respective process technology including employment of the indicated safety system it is possible, for the purpose of complying with higher exhaust gas standards, to postcombust any soot components of diesel fuel and the like arising in an exhaust system of a vehicle, any hot fuel-saturated air unintentionally occurring as a result of leakages being intercepted by the safety system and neutralized so that the gases or vapors involved may not come into contact with other hot engine and exhaust gas components to form foci of fires or explosions.

Other advantageous embodiments are specified in the dependent claims.

The safety system claimed for the invention and the process for its operation are described in what follows on the basis of an exemplary embodiment of the respective safety unit as illustrated in the drawing, in which, in the form of schematic diagrams not drawn to scale,

FIG. 1 presents a partly cutaway front view of the basic structure of the safety system;

FIG. 2 a perspective top view of the lower part of the safety system;

FIG. 3 an unfolded perspective view of a part of the safety system shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 a perspective front view of the closed safety system as illustrated in the configuration shown in FIG. 1.

The safety system illustrated in the figures performs the function of preventing escape of noxious media such as explosive gas mixtures and/or combustible substances such as ones in the form of easily combustible fuels or the like. The safety system claimed for the invention has an interception element designated as a whole as 10; it encloses at least in part a potential escape point 12 of the respective medium. Should an incident of unintentional escape of a medium occur, the possibility exists of precipitation of the medium onto the interception element 10 and in particular of causing it to undergo condensation there and be collected in the interception element 10 and removed from it. Consequently, the interception element 10 makes certain that media harmful from the viewpoint of safety engineering neither can escape into the environment nor can harm the environment and/or be ignited on other hot components of a fluid-conducting system not shown such as process engineering equipment, hydraulic assemblies, or internal combustion engines including diesel engines, etc.

The interception element 10 configured as a trough encloses the potential escape point 12 for the respective medium at a prescribed distance such that the medium to be intercepted, if present in the form of saturated air or gas, is at least partly condensed and precipitated onto a wall 14 of the interception element 10 to be received as condensate in a collecting element 16 of the interception element 10 and removed from it. As is shown in the overall view in FIG. 1, the interception element 10 is configured to be integral with the collecting element 16 as a molded sheet metal element. By preference, however, the possibility also exists of the multi-component configuration as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, which illustrate the preferred design of the safety system. The trough-like collecting element 16 is provided at its deepest point with an outlet or return line 18 which receives the condensate components, including any pollutants, and other residues from the safety system for specific further use such as for return to a system tank, a collecting unit, or the like (not shown).

FIG. 1 illustrates use of the safety system for an exhaust gas system 20 of a diesel engine (not shown). The part of the exhaust gas system 20 shown in FIG. 1 has an injection valve or an injection nozzle 22 the one free end of which communicates with a combustion space not shown which is enclosed in a nozzle or combustion chamber 24 which itself is a component of a larger combustion system not shown. The free end of the injection nozzle 22 shown in FIG. 1 is connected to a fuel line which feeds the injection nozzle 22 and makes certain that injected fuel can reach the combustion chamber and its combustion space.

The configuration as described serves the purpose of post-combusting the soot or other pollutant components remaining in the exhaust gas flow of a diesel engine, by means of the fuel injected and ignited by way of the injection nozzle 22. The post combustion as described makes it possible to comply with the higher and very strict exhaust gas standards even into the future, something which has not been possible with the previously conventional catalyst system. Application of post combustion as described does not, however, exclude the possibility of unintentional formation of at least one escape point 12 by way of leakage points, as, for example, between the injection nozzle 22 and the wall components of the combustion chamber 24 shown in FIG. 1 to which the injection nozzle 22 is joined, preferably by means of a screw connection. The possibility is not to be excluded that the injection nozzle 22 might be loosened by engine vibrations or be canted when inserted in assembly processes so as to create a potential escape point. In this instance the hot fuel-saturated air arising in post combustion would then escape fuel injection and accordingly escape from the combustion chamber 24 and might then be ignited, on other hot engine or exhaust gas components, for example, so that creation of sources of explosion in addition to sources of fire might be possible. The trough-like interception element 10 as described acts to prevent such a situation, in that it makes it possible to condense the hot fuel-saturated air there so that the condensate, predominantly in the form of fuel droplets, may then be moved downward by the force of gravity along the interior wall 14 of the interception element 10 to the collecting element 16 as collection container and leave the interception element 10 in the manner already described.

The trough-like collecting element 16 is fastened for the purpose of assembly of the interception element 10 on parts of the combustion chamber 24 by way of nuts 28 which are tightened in the chamber structure. FIG. 2 in particular illustrates such a nut 28, another fastening nut being positioned on the diametrically opposite edge of the trough and not illustrated. In addition to its collection function the collecting element 16 is assigned the function, determined also by the temperature relationships, of thermal shielding of the injection system. For this purpose the collecting element 16 preferably is configured as a shaped metal element such as a deep-drawn part, and may also have a structure comparable to that of known thermal shield structures in this area.

A protective element 30 which, preferably in the form of a spray or injection shield, blocks the direct path of impact of the medium between an escape point 12 and one interception element 10 is mounted as additional interception element between the interception element 10 and the respective escape point 12. The structure of the protective element 30 in question is shown in greater detail in FIG. 3. It is to be seen in FIG. 3 that the protective element 30 consists of two flap elements 32, 34 which are positioned adjacent to each other along a common bending or folding line 36 to form a cylindrical receptacle space 38 and may be folded toward each other and joined together by way of a conventional screw connection 40 (see FIG. 2). As is also to be seen in FIG. 2, the protective element 30 extends more or less perpendicularly to the trough bottom 42 of the trough-like collecting element 16 to the bottom 42 of the trough of the collecting element configured as a trough 16 to the trough edge 44 of which the also flanged or beaded wall elements 46 of the upper part of the interception element 10 are applied so as to effect sealing (see also FIG. 4 in this context).

As is to be seen in FIG. 3 in particular, the flap element 32 has, in an impressed recess, a strap-like or clamp-like seal 48, the other, second, flap element 34 having in the area of penetration 50 for the fuel line 26 a piece of a seal 52 in the form of a segment of a ring. The receptacle space 38 made up of the two flap elements 32, 24, one superimposed on the other, is sealed off from the environment in the area of the fuel line 26 as well and the medium emerging from the escape point 12 would first be precipitated against the interior wall 54 of the protective element 30 after this element has been installed. Fluid (diesel fuel) escaping in the form of a stream in particular can accordingly be effectively intercepted, and should gaseous media components escape downward from the protective element 30 as viewed in the line of sight to FIG. 1, since the seal 48, 52 in question is interrupted at the lower escape point, the upper part of the interception element 10 would cause formation of condensate in addition to performing the collection function indicated. In addition to the potential escape point 12 indicated in the foregoing, the possibility also exists, of course, of formation of other escape points such as ones in the area of transition from fuel line 26 to injection nozzle 22 or injection valve.

The protective element 30 preferably performs its function together with the interception element 10 as illustrated in the diagram, as determined by the specific application. However, the possibility generally also exists of omitting the protective element 30 and having the decisive protective function performed exclusively by the interception element 10. It is also conceivable that in the configuration shown in FIG. 2 the upper part of the interception element 10 could be omitted and the protective element 30 could operate in conjunction with the trough-shaped collection element 16 as an effective interception element. In such event the cap-shaped protective element 30 would to a great extent have to ensure the condensate formation indicated.

In the case of increased safety requirements, which generally are to be assumed to exist, the safety system as described in the complete illustration in FIG. 4 would have to be in operation. In order to provide effective sealing between collection element 16 and upper cap element of the interception element 10 to this end, the collection element 16 has circumferentially in the transitional area between trough edge 44 and recessed collection point a circumferential annular seal 56 which in turn fits into a recess in the collecting element 16. In order to achieve complete sealing in the area of the outlet or return line 18 the upper trough element of the interception element 10 has a corresponding segment-like seal (not shown) in a corresponding channel-shaped area recess of the second flap element 34 comparable to the annular segment seal 52. By preference the seals in question are mounted so as to be captive inside the system elements of the safety system.

On the whole the interception element 10 with its two trough-like upper and lower cover elements functions as temperature shield of the injection system in relation to any possibly adjacent exhaust gas system used, for example, for a turbocharger of a diesel engine or the like. A conventional screw connection 58 (see FIG. 4) is used to connect the upper cover of the interception element 10 to the lower cover in the form of the collecting container 16.

As a rule the safety system in question may be used, in addition to the fuel injection indicated for post combustion of diesel soot particles, also for other areas relevant to safety engineering, and in particular always where gasiform media representing a potential hazard are to be intercepted before entering the environment. In this respect the present safety system may optionally be used as a cost-effective replacement of conventional filter systems. 

1. A safety system for prevention of escape of noxious media such as explosive gas mixtures and/or inflammable substances having at least one interception element (10; 30) which at least partly encloses and seals off a potential escape point (12) of the respective medium, which is precipitated onto the interception element (10; 30) and collected in the interception element (10; 30) and may be removed from it.
 2. The safety system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the interception element (10; 30) encloses the potential escape point (12) for the respective medium at a prescribed distance such that the medium to be intercepted is condensed and precipitated at least partly onto a wall (14; 54) of the interception element (10; 30) to be received as condensate in a collecting element (16) of the interception element (10; 30) and removed from this collecting element (16).
 3. The safety system as claimed in claim 1, wherein there is present between one interception element (10) and the respective escape point (12) a second interception element as protective element (30) which as spray protection interrupts the direct path of impact of the medium between escape point (12) and one interception element (10).
 4. The safety system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the protective element (30) is cap-shaped and for the purpose of effecting sealing at least in part comprises structural components which communicate with other structural components in such a way as to restrict a possible escape point (12).
 5. The safety system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the protective element (30) is made up of at least two flap elements (32, 34) which are positioned adjacent to each other along a common bending or folding line (36) to form a receptacle space (38) and may be folded toward each other and joined together.
 6. The safety system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the protective element (30) extends essentially perpendicularly to the bottom (42) of the collecting element (16) to the trough-like bottom (42) of the collecting element configured as a trough (16) to the trough edge (44) of which the wall elements (46) of one interception element (10) are connected.
 7. The safety system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the trough-like collecting element (16) is provided with at least one outlet or return line (18) for removal of the medium collected in the collecting element (16).
 8. The safety system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the protective element (30) consists of heat-resistant materials such as a sheet metal material of which the one interception element (10) by preference also consists.
 9. The safety system as claimed in claim 4, wherein one of the types of structural components is in the form of an injection nozzle or valve (22) which is connected to a fuel line (26) and communicates with a combustion space which is enclosed in a combustion chamber (24) forming the other type of structural component.
 10. A process for operation of a safety system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that impurities present in an exhaust gas system (20) such as soot particles are postcombusted by means of fuel injection, and in that any hot fuel-saturated air which may emerge from a potential escape point (12) of the exhaust gas system (20) is precipitated onto an interception element (10; 30) of the safety system and is removed from the interception element (10; 30) as condensate. 